Georgia father guilty of leaving son to die in hot car on purpose

A man who left his toddler son strapped into a car for seven hours alone on a boiling hot day has been found guilty of leaving him to die on purpose.

Justin Ross Harris told police after pulling his lifeless son from the car in Georgia, US, that it was an terrible accident.

However, police found the death suspicious - from the short drive during which Harris said he forgot about his son to the fact he returned to his SUV once without noticing the boy.

After a month-long trial and four days of deliberations, a jury sided with authorities and convicted 35-year-old Harris of malice murder - concluding not only that he should be held criminally responsible, but that he left 22-month-old Cooper to die on purpose.

Harris said he forgot to drop his son off at day care on June 18 2014, instead driving straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot, not realising Cooper was still in his car seat.